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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27654298">A Little Thank You</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Beau_bie/pseuds/Beau_bie'>Beau_bie</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>a place to stay [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Non-Magical, Eventual James Potter/Severus Snape, Falling In Love, M/M, Marauders, Modern Era, Out of Character</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 21:01:43</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,591</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27654298</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Beau_bie/pseuds/Beau_bie</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>James visits Severus to thank him. </p>
<p>Directly follows on from Drunken Deep and Meaningful (Part 2).</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>a place to stay [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2021861</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>43</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>A Little Thank You</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Severus was surprised to hear a knock on the door. Both his parents had passed away, and he didn't have any friends in the area. He kept to himself and avoided the neighbours. He slowly stood up from the lounge and walked over to the door, tucking his book under his arm.</p>
<p>He opened the door and there was James, dressed nicely, as always, a smile on his face.</p>
<p>"What do you want?"</p>
<p>"Never properly thanked you for taking care of me the other week."</p>
<p>"It was nothing, honestly."</p>
<p>"No. It meant a lot to me. Can I take you for dinner? Just a nice meal."</p>
<p>"I'm sorry, I'm busy," he lied.</p>
<p>"Well, I know you're not working, are you seeing someone?"</p>
<p>"No," he felt his face warm. "As if there would be a single person in this world who would ever date me. But in saying that-"</p>
<p>He watched James' face fall.</p>
<p>"-I have a date with a book," he said, holding it up.</p>
<p>James' face lit up again. "I'm sure Plath won't mind that you aren't dating her book for a few hours to come to dinner with me."</p>
<p>"You're not going to leave, are you?"</p>
<p>"I thought you wouldn't want to come out. If you wouldn't come with me, I'll just order in takeaway. What do you want?"</p>
<p>"I'm fine, really-"</p>
<p>"May I come in?"</p>
<p>Severus shook his head. "No. I'm... I'm uncertain."</p>
<p>"I promise I won't be drinking."</p>
<p>"I don't keep alcohol here. Fine. Come in. I don't want any trouble."</p>
<p>"Neither. I've had enough trouble."</p>
<p>Severus sat on the lounge, setting the book down on the coffee table, James sitting on the lounge next to him.</p>
<p>Severus looked at James out the corner of his eye.</p>
<p>James smiled, ruffling his already messy hair. "So, what do you want to eat?"</p>
<p>"I don't know. I don't usually eat dinner."</p>
<p>"Why not?"</p>
<p>"It's just so inconvenient."</p>
<p>"Really?"</p>
<p>"Yes. It's usually when I start work and if I'm not at work I'm winding down for bed. If I eat it's toast."</p>
<p>"You're so boring. I love it."</p>
<p>Severus snorted. "I can no longer tell when you're being serious, sarcastic or mean."</p>
<p>"What if I'm just being honest?"</p>
<p>Severus looked at him. "James, I don't know what's going on here, or why you're here. You don't need to buy me dinner because I sobered you up once."</p>
<p>"You... you did more than that. It probably doesn't seem like much, but... you really helped me."</p>
<p>"Well, I suppose I kept you hydrated-"</p>
<p>"Not just that. Remember when you went through my phone?"</p>
<p>"I didn't go through your phone."</p>
<p>"You looked at it," he said, "and you saw what was happening. Between Lily and me. You helped me leave my relationship."</p>
<p>Severus frowned. "I didn't end up doing much. I thought..." he trailed off, unsure of how honest he had wanted to be with James.</p>
<p>"You offered your help. In that moment... when you saw the messages and my body... the look on your face helped me realise that what was happening wasn't acceptable. That I shouldn't be putting my body and mind through that. So I owe you a lot."</p>
<p>Severus shook his head. "No, you don't. But you do owe it to yourself to take time for yourself until you meet someone who truly deserves you and your time."</p>
<p>"It sounds ridiculous... but I've already met someone."</p>
<p>"Don't jump into-"</p>
<p>"I won't," he said, his shoulders relaxing, a smile on his face. "They aren't interested in me anyway."</p>
<p>"You never know."</p>
<p>James laughed. "I know. And that's okay. Like you said. I have to find someone who won't run away. The one who loves me won't be doing that. How's pizza sound?"</p>
<p>"Sounds good," Severus agreed.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>...</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Severus had no idea how he'd ended up with James lying in his bed again. James sleeping quietly on the other side, facing towards him. He wondered who the stranger James had already fallen for was. He wondered if they would be good to him. Strangely, he believed James deserved that.</p>
<p>James was a handsome man. Severus had always been jealous. He couldn't believe that someone who looked like James, who had just as beautiful friends like Sirius and Remus would even be bothered coming over to spend time with him. It felt like it should have ended with a prank, with some form of humiliation. Instead it started with pizza and bad horror movies and ended in sleep.</p>
<p>Wholesome.</p>
<p>He finally felt himself relax enough to fall asleep, nervous, but hoping, truly hoping that James had no ulterior motives.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>...</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He woke to the smell of bacon. He wondered how that could possibly be, when he lived alone, and he hadn't recently bought bacon. He looked at the time, seeing it was already ten thirty. He rubbed his eyes, hardly believing that he had actually slept in. He sat up slowly, wearing his slippers and grabbing his dressing gown and he left the room. </p>
<p>"Morning." James smiled from the kitchen. "I hope you slept well." </p>
<p>Severus stared at James. James Potter was in his house cooking breakfast. James Potter was standing in the kitchen in his underwear and socks cooking breakfast. At ten thirty in the morning. "What are you doing here?"</p>
<p>James looked perplexed. "I am cooking breakfast. Obviously."</p>
<p>"Right, I did realise that... I guess I was just surprised that you were still in my house."</p>
<p>"Why wouldn't... you want me to leave?"</p>
<p>"No, I mean, I just thought you would have left. That is all."</p>
<p>"Just thought I'd make breakfast. I can leave after if-"</p>
<p>"Its fine, I didn't mean to sound so rude. I was just surprised," he admitted.</p>
<p>James smiled. "I didn't mean to. I didn't want to leave without saying goodbye either."</p>
<p>"That's nice," he said, the words sounded uncertain even to him. He walked closer to the kitchen. "Can I help with anything?"</p>
<p>"Nope. I'm finished now," he said, passing a plate to Severus. </p>
<p>"Thank you James."</p>
<p>"Welcome," he smiled.</p>
<p>They moved to the lounge, Severus sat down, crossing his legs and resting his plate on his thigh. "So, did you sleep well?"</p>
<p>"Your bed is heaven."</p>
<p>Severus laughed. "It's that old," he admitted. "I need a new mattress. Where are you living at the moment?" he asked, realising that it hadn't come up in the previous nights conversation.</p>
<p>"At my parents. I think they feel guilty about not realising what was going on. I just told Sirius and Remus I was taking a break, but I think Marlene has told them... I think she said something to Remus. I don't know if he said anything to Sirius. Is she has, he hasn't mentioned it." He paused, looking around the room as if it would give him the answer he wanted without having to ask it. "Do you see anyone from school Severus?"</p>
<p>"Besides you, no. I don't see anyone from school. Expect Lucius Malfoy, but he is older than us. He is the only person I keep in contact with. He is a lawyer now, and you never know when you need to know someone who is an expert in that field."</p>
<p>"He is a lawyer? Really?"</p>
<p>"Well, yes. Works for his father's Law firm."</p>
<p>"That's good to know."</p>
<p>"You need a lawyer."</p>
<p>"I am getting a divorce. I'll need a good lawyer."</p>
<p>"Indeed."</p>
<p>"But I don't want to talk about these things right now. It's all my parents talk about," he sighed. "I don't want to think about these things. It's hard. I mean, my marriage fell apart. My life fell apart. Everything is a mess."</p>
<p>Severus couldn't relate to the breakdown in a relationship, but he knew how they started, how they ended. His parents relationship had been a mess. A mess of physical, verbal and emotional abuse. He was glad he'd left when he could. It hadn't been easy. It had been the hardest thing he'd ever done.</p>
<p>But his parents were gone now. He didn't have to worry about them. They no longer had any influence over him. They couldn't try and win his favour, they couldn't manipulate him.</p>
<p>He looked at James. This man had gone though what Severus' mother had gone through. What he had gone through. He found himself reaching out to hold James' hand. He didn't know why, but it felt right. </p>
<p>He knew it was right when James squeezed his hand softly, smiling at him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>...</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He never thought he would feel alone in his home. A place he had been in for a few years. A small, tidy little place. Home. A secure location.</p>
<p>But, once James had returned to his parents home, he felt alone. He'd never felt such a strong feeling of despair. He was used to being alone, but it felt wrong. </p>
<p>He didn't know why he felt that way. The only way he knew how to deal with unexpected emotions was to drink coffee and chain smoke on the verandah.</p>
<p>He still didn't know why he felt this way. He couldn't quiet the butterflies that rattled against his ribcage, threatening to shatter his ribs and break free in an attempt to fly to the Potter's residence. He refused to entertain the idea that it was even a possibility for him to be thinking about James.</p>
<p>But his mind wandered to the beautiful man who, just a few short hours ago had innocently slept next to him in bed and made him breakfast.</p>
<p>No.</p>
<p>He couldn't be falling for James Potter. That was ridiculous.</p>
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